A Monongalia County grand jury has decided not to return indictments against West Virginia University officials involved in the erroneous decision to award a master's of business administration degree to Mylan Inc. executive Heather Bresch.

The degree was rescinded after an investigative panel concluded that WVU officials falsified the transcript to make it appear that Ms. Bresch, the daughter of West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, earned the degree. The panel said WVU officials added courses she did not register for, pay for or complete. Grades assigned to those classes were "pulled from thin air," panel members said.

The grand jury's decision was based on evidence collected by Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney Marcia L. Ashdown and the Commission on Special Investigations, an arm of the state legislature.

While grand jury members said "ethical and moral boundaries were violated by all individuals involved in this situation," they concluded that their conduct reflected poor judgment and the misapplication of power rather than criminal activity.

Grand jury members said Ms. Bresch "was not justified in any belief that she had actually earned the degree."

Ms. Bresch, who said she earned a master's degree in business administration in December 1998, is chief operating officer of Mylan. The Cecil-based generic drug maker was co-founded by Chairman Milan Puskar, who is WVU's largest benefactor.

WVU officials told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last October that Ms. Bresch did not earn the degree, but reversed themselves days later. A Dec. 21 Post-Gazette story questioned how the school revised her transcript, adding 22 credit hours to make it appear that Ms. Bresch completed the 48-credit program.

The story prompted the appointment of the investigative panel that confirmed Ms. Bresch did not earn the degree. WVU President Michael Garrison, a high school friend of Ms. Bresch who reported to her as a one-time lobbyist for Mylan, announced his resignation June 6. He departed Sept. 1.

Provost Gerald Lang and business school Dean R. Stephen Sears resigned those positions days after the panel report. General counsel Alex Macia was demoted and subsequently left WVU, as did Craig Walker, Mr. Garrison's chief of staff. The four were involved in the October 2007 meeting where the decision to award the degree was made.